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 Accolade wrote:

kestral wrote:
Can't be real. No one running a major company writes that poorly.

As stated before, it's linked directly from GW's website. It is either a super crazy-elaborate hoax, or it's real. And given previous...*ahem* speeches by Tom Kirby, it's pretty consistent with his style.

I believe Kirby has snorted too much of his own product to be coherent anymore.

All those lines of Space Marines eventually takes a toll on the cognitive portions of your brain.

"I am amazed at the numbers of plastic space marines sold. I can't believe it, I keep expecting it to be a front for drugs."

Oh Jervis, if only you had realized, you could have saved Kirby from himself!

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

weeble1000 wrote:
... namely Alan Roy Merrett and Andrew Jones.

I know one direct effect losing Merrett would cause (from a 40K lore perspective), but I see this as a "be careful what you wish for" situation.

 Yonan wrote:
The hooves... the thunder of the hooves is deafening!

As the sun rises, we may need to put on our sunglasses to protect from the blinding reflection.

I doubt that anything would happen to the lore, it has already been well established for the last 20+ years that the 41st millennium and its grimdark nature would actually change very little other than perhaps some minutiae. It would be the same universe with the same factions, nothing significant would change.

Back on topic: The board needs a leader that is willing to do what needs to be done, the hero they need, not the hero they want.

Whoever takes over needs to see the good in reducing GW stores (at least in the US), increase brand awareness, support the community, embrace the FLGS, reduce the barrier to entry.

 Accolade wrote:
"I am amazed at the numbers of plastic space marines sold. I can't believe it, I keep expecting it to be a front for drugs."

Oh Jervis, if only you had realized, you could have saved Kirby from himself!

I surmise the only reason that they kept Matt Ward around was that Kirby can do lines across the entirety of his being; metaphysically and literally.

I've been reading this thread off and on throughout the day,... I love you all.

Has anyone noticed the song and dance about 3D printing... it seems like a man jingling keys to an infant. He's doing a misdirection without actually talking about what's gnawing on their feet while saying "don't worry about the lion in the other room!" No mention of the competition that is not only offering gorgeous models, but also cheaper barriers to entry and overall cost to play miniatures games. Many of which can be seen as direct descendants of their own specialist games they crap-canned.

I had an extremely difficult time reading this document. One, because it was poorly written and couldn't understand it. Two, because I couldn't believe what was being said. I very much enjoy the discussion over what the "hogs" line meant. I think we can talk about Preamble As Intended versus Preamble As Written all day, but until they issues a financial FAQ, we just have to all decide how we'd write our own Dear John exit letters.

Well, Kirby is degenerating into a barely-literate goatman snorting and spewing nonsense while simultaneously admitting how messed up GW is.

Magical quotes of fail!

"Games Workshop has had a really good year. If your measure of 'good' is the current financial year's numbers, you may not agree."

"We have, this last year, spent an indecent amount of your money trying to stop someone sealing our ideas and images"

Things that don't belong in a professional business document! Yaaaaay!

"...That will not happen in the next few years (or, in City-speak, 'forever')"

"...so those of you who want to see an end to these preambles (rhymes with rambles)..."

Seriously, I've applied for jobs and whatnot in my life in the corporate world. If I put something like preambles (rhymes like rambles) or other weird little jokes in parenthesis throughout my document, no way I'd ever be hired. They'd think I was a nut.

It's funny but not in the "ha ha" way, more like the "Oh boy, this is awkward".

Time to update Tom Kirby's 1d4chan wiki page:

http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Tom_Kirby

xraytango wrote:
I doubt that anything would happen to the lore, it has already been well established for the last 20+ years that the 41st millennium and its grimdark nature would actually change very little other than perhaps some minutiae. It would be the same universe with the same factions, nothing significant would change.

Well, let's just say that you don't know what I know and leave it at that. I can't really talk about it, and while the shift in attitude is something I'd welcome, I do wonder what else would change and that worries me more.

-Nevermind.

 Mysterious Pants wrote:
Wait.

There's something else under the 'Chiarmans preamble' section, that doesn't match the one the OP linked to. WTF?

http://investor.games-workshop.com/chairmans-preamble/

I might just be confused.

That is a link to the old ones.

 WarOne wrote:
That is a link to the old ones.

Nevermind. Got confused for a second. Mistook 2013 for 14.

 Azreal13 wrote:

 Soggy Kittenz wrote:
I almost feel bad for Kirby for saying this, but this made my day brighter. He has done little good for the hobby or company and I have been looking forward to a change in their management. Although, of course, it is too early to say, this could end up turning around GW, if they hire someone competent. Imagine a return to the golden years of GW... *drools slightly*

Credit where it is due, if it wasn't for Kirby, GW may have disappeared a long time ago. His greatest crimes are overstaying his welcome, not moving with the times and failing to acknowledge he isn't Steve fethin Jobs

What exactly did Kirby due to help save GW?

I'm not being sarcastic I'm seriously asking here. I know next to nothing about the corporate history of GW and its profit ups and downs...

 Mysterious Pants wrote:
Wait.

There's something else under the 'Chiarmans preamble' section, that doesn't match the one the OP linked to. WTF?

http://investor.games-workshop.com/chairmans-preamble/

You're looking at 12-13 nor 13-14.

go here and click on the preamble. It's not "live"yet but since nobody at GW knows how to properly run a website (even one you spend millions on) it's easily accessible...

http://investor.games-workshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/

 agnosto wrote:

 Mysterious Pants wrote:
Wait.

There's something else under the 'Chiarmans preamble' section, that doesn't match the one the OP linked to. WTF?

http://investor.games-workshop.com/chairmans-preamble/

You're looking at 12-13 nor 13-14.

go here and click on the preamble. It's not "live"yet but since nobody at GW knows how to properly run a website (even one you spend millions on) it's easily accessible...


http://investor.games-workshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/

Yah, it lets you see what their next meeting will be about:

http://investor.games-workshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/NOTICE-OF-ANNUAL-GENERAL-MEETING.pdf

 Azreal13 wrote:

Tsilber wrote:
So another doomsday report, the sky is falling for GW... Same old song for 20 years boys and girls.

You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but d'you fancy backing that thinking up with any sort of facts or figures at all? Or would you perhaps want to wait less than 24 hours so you'll have all those astonishing performance numbers to make us all look like fools with?

No facts or evidence required and have no intention to make anyone look like fools. I just stated the facts, its another 'Gw is terrible and/or going under type article/post/thread', the same thing thats been said for years (i guess this would be my fancy backing).... Yet the world has kept spinning and will keep spinning and GW will continue to exist is all Im stating, I do not see anything in the report or this thread that has not been seen or accused before. Maybe this will be it, this will be the year,, who knows /shrug...

Tsilber wrote:

No facts or evidence required and have no intention to make anyone look like fools. I just stated the facts, its another 'Gw is terrible and/or going under type article/post/thread', the same thing thats been said for year.... Yet the world has kept spinning and will keep spinning and GW will continue to exist is all Im stating, I do not see anything in the report or this thread that has not been seen or accused before. Maybe this will be it, this will be the year,, who knows /shrug...

Okay, "the world keeps spinning" has nothing to do with it. And at first you say it's not going to happen, then it's been said for 20 years, and now who knows? You're waffling anytime tries to discuss the matter. Games Workshop has been doing terrible things to customers and independent retailers. And they are worse than any year previously of recent (with no Golden Parachute deal that we know of) There is actual hard financial evidence to correspond to with this. There is discernible trends within the business to sell you items with objectively worse quality with a higher price; thus the value of the brand is dropping. We know LotR/Hobbit is dead. We can see that Fantasy is being ignored. And we now have extremely placating releases for armies, no-risk codices, and insane "collector's editions." None of these things add up to a healthy company in solid standing. I would ask have you ignored many of the larger threads filled with good knowledge? Have you read the The Future of Games Day and Games Workshop series?

If you have any ground to still defend GW after this little spat of Kirby's and what's to come tomorrow, then please speak up. If it's "I have no problem with the games or prices," well then great. Your opinion is noted and it probably won't be enough to right a listing ship unless you suddenly have a lot of cash to buy "all the stuff."

 TheKbob wrote:

Tsilber wrote:

No facts or evidence required and have no intention to make anyone look like fools. I just stated the facts, its another 'Gw is terrible and/or going under type article/post/thread', the same thing thats been said for year.... Yet the world has kept spinning and will keep spinning and GW will continue to exist is all Im stating, I do not see anything in the report or this thread that has not been seen or accused before. Maybe this will be it, this will be the year,, who knows /shrug...

Okay, "the world keeps spinning" has nothing to do with it. And at first you say it's not going to happen, then it's been said for 20 years, and now who knows? You're waffling anytime tries to discuss the matter. Games Workshop has been doing terrible things to customers and independent retailers. And they are worse than any year previously. There is actual hard financial evidence to correspond to with this. There is discernible trends within the business to sell you items with objectively worse quality with a higher price; thus the value of the brand is dropping. We know LotR/Hobbit is dead. We can see that Fantasy is being ignored. And we now have extremely placating releases for armies, no-risk codices, and insane "collector's editions." None of these things add up to a healthy company in solid standing. I would ask have you ignored many of the larger threads filled with good knowledge? Have you read the The Future of Games Day and Games Workshop series?

If you have any ground to still defend GW after this little spat and what's to come tomorrow, then please speak up. If it's "I have no problem with the games or prices," well then great. Your opinion is noted and it probably won't be enough to right a listing ship unless you suddenly have a lot of cash to buy "all the stuff."

LOL, listen. I was simply stating GW has been on this downward spiral for years, its been said there is tons of evidence and financial reports to support this. Its general consensus this is the worse year and I'm sure next year it will all be said again. I was merely stating that with all this, GW seems to pull through still. I was saying GW would continue to exist, i wasn't waffling man on my last post, stop twisting words and views simply because I do not agree with you that GW's demise is coming. I was stating History and matters of fact, not hypothesis on reports I read.
I wasn't defending or saying GW was doing the right thing either... i did not say that one time in this thread. I guess It takes more then reports and blogs to convince me GW will fall apart since it has managed to last this long. Again, this is not defending them or saying they are doing things correctly, it's clear evidence and the decline in customers/hobbiest they must not be.

Tsilber wrote:
LOL, listen. I was simply stating GW has been on this downward spiral for years

Is it still the same spiral if it goes from a 10 degree downward angle to a 90 degree downward angle?

A new CEO. That would be amazing.

I really read that as, Kirby is downplaying all the heat he is getting, and simple leaving to avoid a much more heated ending.

I am not nay saying GW. I have high hopes in next January they can recover what they are under new CEO position and make leaps and bounds to rebuilding a good customer, company relationship again.

 Yonan wrote:

Tsilber wrote:
LOL, listen. I was simply stating GW has been on this downward spiral for years

Is it still the same spiral if it goes from a 10 degree downward angle to a 90 degree downward angle?

I think its just a faster downward spiral.

Who would you like see jump in as CEO if it does in fact happen? A fellow hobbiest? A Business man who never touched the game? A former employee? should this be asked in a different thread? I'd be interested in what current and former 40k hobbiest would want and think would work best.

Is this guy like a Billy Madison type of CEO or something? If that is what gets released to reassure investors or recruit new ones, good lord.

Tsilber wrote:
So another doomsday report, the sky is falling for GW... Same old song for 20 years boys and girls.

Tsilber wrote:

No facts or evidence required....

Tsilber wrote:

Again, this is not defending them or saying they are doing things correctly, it's clear evidence and the decline in customers/hobbiest they must not be.

You post one way and then back track another. Choose some firm ground and maybe some folks might not appear to be on your case. There are several people all asking you to clarify or provide facts and you've gone from "I'm all about them" to "None required."

This time is different. We have plenty of economically minded folks here and elsewhere all saying "this crap doesn't look good." We have also the same folks stating that once a public entity like GW gets into a death spiral, unless you literally are Steve Jobs (ironic Kirby would say him), your company is sunk. And it's not over a few years sunk. It's months to maybe a year sunk, like TSR.

VanHallan wrote:
Is this guy like a Billy Madison type of CEO or something? If that is what gets released to reassure investors or recruit new ones, good lord.

I can certainly see a similar reaction to a question on business ethics ; p

 TheKbob wrote:

Tsilber wrote:
So another doomsday report, the sky is falling for GW... Same old song for 20 years boys and girls.

Tsilber wrote:

No facts or evidence required....

Tsilber wrote:

Again, this is not defending them or saying they are doing things correctly, it's clear evidence and the decline in customers/hobbiest they must not be.

You post one way and then back track another. Choose some firm ground and maybe some folks might not appear to be on your case. There are several people all asking you to clarify or provide facts and you've gone from "I'm all about them" to "None required."

This time is different. We have plenty of economically minded folks here and elsewhere all saying "this crap doesn't look good." We have also the same folks stating that once a public entity like GW gets into a death spiral, unless you literally are Steve Jobs (ironic Kirby would say him), your company is sunk. And it's not over a few years sunk. It's months to maybe a year sunk, like TSR.

Okay obviously you're upset about something and really want to try to argue which you know will end up just getting this thread closed....Ill try to spell it out for you anyway, try not to twist it around and simply read it for what im saying.

FACT: For years there have been reports about GW declining in sales, customer satisfaction or whatever. And there have been blogs or thread spoken about saying the same thing. (this means its been the same old song for years)

GW continues to exist. (The facts and evidence is GW still exist... so actual history and the present day was all that was required, no further evidence)

I even went on to say, heck maybe this will be the year (though I doubt it, since its all been said before) to try to reinforce I wasn't defending them or taking the argument "HEY GW WILL ALWAYS BE AROUND BECAUSE THEY DO THE RIGHT THING" , perhaps that got lost in translation.

But I did not defend GW one time here, the statements made above is not defending/saying that GW is doing the right thing, I did not say that once, and even had to point this out. You can take it like that if you like, but its not the case and I have said that... people like yourself can get on my case all you like if it pleases you. But the way you twist my post around, quote partial sentences and try to bully me around on this thread (which isnt working), really does not give positive credibility to your post that crucify or attack GW.

Hope this helps.

Tsilber wrote:


Okay obviously you're upset about something and really want to try to argue which you know will end up just getting this thread closed....Ill try to spell it out for you anyway, try not to twist it around and simply read it for what im saying.

FACT: For years there have been reports about GW declining in sales, customer satisfaction or whatever. And there have been blogs or thread spoken about saying the same thing. (this means its been the same old song for years)

GW continues to exist. (The facts and evidence is GW still exist... so actual history and the present day was all that was required, no further evidence)

I even went on to say, heck maybe this will be the year (though I doubt it, since its all been said before) to try to reinforce I wasn't defending them or taking the argument "HEY GW WILL ALWAYS BE AROUND" , perhaps that got lost in translation.

But I did not defend GW one time here, the statements made above is not defending/saying that GW is doing the right thing, I did not say that once, and even had to point this out. You can take it like that if you like, but its not the case and I have said that... people like yourself can get on my case all you like if it pleases you. But the way you twist my post around, quote partial sentences and try to bully me around on this thread (which isnt working), really does not put a lot of credibility to your post that crucify or attack GW.

No, I'm not upset. I am tired of the same nonsense being stated. It defies all the evidence. Games Workshop didn't fail previously thanks to landing the Lord of the Rings deal and have pumped up profits with price hikes (at lower sales volume) and cut costs to the bone. Nothing is left to cut but the millstones of stores, which will reduce sales volume, which will in turn further cut profits. Whether that can beat the spiral has to be seen, but anyone with economic smarts has said it's doubtful.

So your stance is to be a bit inflammatory with statements like "another sky is falling for GW" and then immedietely back peddle to whatever this stance is of "yea, not likely, maybe, whatever." It's not adding anything to the conversation. So why don't you address the three other folks who quoted you on your first statement instead of just me.

Tsilber wrote:

Who would you like see jump in as CEO if it does in fact happen? A fellow hobbiest? A Business man who never touched the game? A former employee? should this be asked in a different thread? I'd be interested in what current and former 40k hobbiest would want and think would work best.

Honestly, any of the guys that provided CHS with their
pro bono defense.

 focusedfire wrote:

tsilber wrote:

Who would you like see jump in as CEO if it does in fact happen? A fellow hobbiest? A Business man who never touched the game? A former employee? should this be asked in a different thread? I'd be interested in what current and former 40k hobbiest would want and think would work best.

Honestly, any of the guys that provided CHS with their
pro bono defense.

Or the guy writing those future of games workshop articles.
He'd be great at it.

In fact actually there would be nothing wrong with a business man who never touched the game. The problem with Kirby is he wants yes men working for him. A real business man should be smart enough to ask the design studio and those who do know the game their opinions.

 jonolikespie wrote:

Or the guy writing those future of games workshop articles.
He'd be great at it.

I think my head and my bank account would implode if that happened. The world's biggest 40k fanboy with executive level experience running Games Workshop?

Thanks for making me have a good thought about the future of 40k. There could be a good chance if that'd happen, I bet.

 TheKbob wrote:

Tsilber wrote:


Okay obviously you're upset about something and really want to try to argue which you know will end up just getting this thread closed....Ill try to spell it out for you anyway, try not to twist it around and simply read it for what im saying.

FACT: For years there have been reports about GW declining in sales, customer satisfaction or whatever. And there have been blogs or thread spoken about saying the same thing. (this means its been the same old song for years)

GW continues to exist. (The facts and evidence is GW still exist... so actual history and the present day was all that was required, no further evidence)

I even went on to say, heck maybe this will be the year (though I doubt it, since its all been said before) to try to reinforce I wasn't defending them or taking the argument "HEY GW WILL ALWAYS BE AROUND" , perhaps that got lost in translation.

But I did not defend GW one time here, the statements made above is not defending/saying that GW is doing the right thing, I did not say that once, and even had to point this out. You can take it like that if you like, but its not the case and I have said that... people like yourself can get on my case all you like if it pleases you. But the way you twist my post around, quote partial sentences and try to bully me around on this thread (which isnt working), really does not put a lot of credibility to your post that crucify or attack GW.

No, I'm not upset. I am tired of the same nonsense being stated. It defies all the evidence. Games Workshop didn't fail previously thanks to landing the Lord of the Rings deal and have pumped up profits with price hikes (at lower sales volume) and cut costs to the bone. Nothing is left to cut but the millstones of stores, which will reduce sales volume, which will in turn further cut profits. Whether that can beat the spiral has to be seen, but anyone with economic smarts has said it's doubtful.

So your stance is to be a bit inflammatory with statements like "another sky is falling for GW" and then immedietely back peddle to whatever this stance is of "yea, not likely, maybe, whatever." It's not adding anything to the conversation. So why don't you address the three other folks who quoted you on your first statement instead of just me.

First glad you're not upset.

Second, 3? I do not see 3 responses to little ole me directly that i did not respond to. I mean Yonan made some sort of doomsday horse parody that i do not think requires me to respond. Someone else asked if a decline of 10% was the same as 90%, which I answered... And Azreal asked for evidence on what I stated which I thought we covered. What else was there? No idea were you are getting 3 from.

and again, there was no back peddling, your are reading into things, or mis reading it...
Either way, I understand your statement. Again not sure why you read into my post, perhaps its because I have backed GW in the past on other threads. But you're speaking of evidence, while I was merely stating the facts. Predictions of outcome can be made from both parties. Based on evidence and conclusions of hypothesis (which i am not disputing exist), You are saying there is strong case of outcome X. And based on the facts and the history surrounding this company, GW somehow managed to stay alive through the years.
Let me try to switch gears here for a second, I guess im kinda saying something along the lines of. There is a governor and a bunch of supporters claiming and putting out reports how this guy supports lowering taxs and will lower them, yet history shows every Governor has said the the same thing yet Taxs go up still. So I would say, "Yeah I'll believe the next Governor of CT is going to lower taxs when I see it''. Its not me defending the Governor, just saying it's the same ole song, he got elected and raised my taxs, world keep spinning. Again perhaps my past post of defending GW made you auto assume I was defending again.

Hopefully now that thats cleared up. Seriously Lord of the rings was there saving grace? I do not see anyone playing that game ever, and the price point alone on some of those kits deterred me from ever trying it. If lord of the rings was their panic button, they might be in bigger trouble then any of us can imagine.

This has to have been a joke report done having a few drinks to get some laughs from the other upper management. Then accidentally uploaded instead of the real one.

Probably the most unprofessionally written release from a company I've ever read.